Maybe I am trying a cheap Canon because I like being a rebel, or maybe I got it to show that it is good enough for most pictures, or maybe I got it since I am fed-up with all the web hype about the best camera of the year, or maybe it was because I’m becoming a “Luddite”, or maybe it was because of all of these reasons.

I took the above picture using the Canon 18 – 55 mm f/3.5 – 5.6 IS II kit lens.  The lens is also outdated and has been upgraded & replaced by Canon in kits with newer cameras.  I took this image as a raw file early one morning before sunrise using the “P” mode while zoomed out to 53 mm … and then cropped it to get in closer.  I then used LR5.3 to convert it and make a few adjustments before converting it to a jpeg as shown above.  For those who wish to know, the ISO was 2500, f/5.6, 1/80 sec handheld, and auto WB.  The colors were accurate but the image has less dynamic range than newer cameras.  When I tried to lighten the shadows, they were noisier and didn’t have as much detail as my X-E1, but it cost 3x as much.

As I mentioned in the previous article, I decided to try a cheaper DSLR after seeing what I could do with a P&S camera.  I first tried a Pentax K-50 since I was familiar with Pentax DSLRs.  I had owned the Pentax K2000, K-7, and a couple of K-5s over the years.  The K-50 was OK but few people use Pentax DSLRs and I could get a more common, lighter Canon DSLR at a lower cost, so I returned the K-50 and bought the T3i.  Canon first announced the Rebel T3i and this kit lens in Feb. 2011 so many newer cameras have come out since then … especially in other brands.  I have tried it now for a few days, but you will have to wait a bit longer to see if I keep it since I will return it if I don’t think it is worth the cost.